Page 4 of Doll Face

“It’s not as easy as that—”

“It is fucking easy!” Matteo yelled, making Roberto jump. He shoved the gun under the smaller man’s jaw. “You think this is a negotiation? You think you have any say in this? I can have you killed, Roberto, and I can take the entire contents of this store, serial numbers or not. I have everything to gain and you have everything to lose.”

“Please,” Roberto begged in a shaky whisper. “I-I have a shipment coming in at the end of the week. I promise.”

“What do you promise? Hm?”

“I promise I’ll cut the stones for you.”

“You bet your God-damned ass you will, or I’ll take my displeasure out on your family. Your wife. Your daughter. Your son.” Matteo shot another display case, this one right next to where they stood and Roberto jumped about a foot in the air. “I want this business deal to work, Roberto. Right now, you’re worth more to me alive than dead. But don’t think for one fucking moment I won’t make an example of you. Understood?”

When Roberto only nodded, Matteo pushed the barrel of the suppressor against the man’s forehead. The smell of urine permeated the air. Matteo wrinkled his nose and stepped back, unscrewing the suppressor so he could slide his piece back into the shoulder holster under his suit jacket. Rocco joined him and together they made their way to the door. A splash of color caught Matteo’s eye and he looked in the shattered case—an aquamarine stone, hanging at the end of a delicate gold chain, and it flashed through his head that it was the exact hue of Macy’s eyes. Without thinking too deeply about it, he took the necklace.

“I’m taking this as a downpayment,” he called out. “See you at the end of the week, Roberto.”

Out the door they went.

“What’s with the necklace?” Rocco asked.

“No reason. I just like the color.”

“Uh huh. Sure.”

They reached Matteo’s bulletproofed Bentley sportscar, and a few seconds later they were on their way. With Macy on his mind, Matteo decided to take the longer way back, driving in front of the coffee shop. He slowed down, looking out his side window, hoping to get a glimpse of brown hair and eyes the color of the Mediterranean Sea.

Chapter Two

Macy spent the rest of the day looking for the handsome stranger to come back. Every time the bell rang, it was like Pavlov’s dogs, salivating as her heartrate sped up with excitement. Only to lead to disappointment when it wasn’t him.

Matteo.

He said he’d see her the next day, and she could only hope so. There was a sophistication about him that wowed her. Sure, plenty of businessmen came in for their daily caffeine fix, but none of them could hold a candle to Matteo’s magnetism.

When closing time came around, she locked the doors and flipped the “closed” sign. The coffee shop was only available from 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM. She put together the bank deposit and placed it in the safe before cleaning up. She mopped the floor, wiped the machinery, and restocked. Right before she was ready to leave, her boss Amanda arrived, huffing and puffing.

“I’m sorry! Thanks for covering the day. I hope it wasn’t too much for you.”

Macy shook her head. “No, it was okay. Lunch was the only busy part of the day, but I got through it. How is your cat?”

“Whiskers will be fine. Missing half his tail, but he’ll make a full recovery.”

Her boss had called her first thing in the morning to tell her that her cat had been in an accident and it needed to go to the vet. Macy had assured her that she could handle the shop.

“Poor thing,” she said. “What happened?”

“Somehow, and I have no idea how this was possible, he got his tail stuck in the garbage disposal when he clicked it on.”

Macy’s eyes widened. “Oh no! That’s horrible.”

“The blood was everywhere.” She shivered with remembered either horror or grossness. “Anyway, thanks, Macy.”

“No problem.” She smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Yes!”

Amanda beamed at her, and escorted her out, locking the door after she left. Macy glanced at her phone and saw it was almost 4:00. She had enough time to make it home, eat an early dinner, and then head to her second job.

Hurrying home, she ran up the two stories to her small apartment. Living in the city was expensive, and she desperately wanted to leave—move to a small town so her asthma wasn’t triggered so much. Find a man to love and settle down with. Start a family. It might not be a grandiose plan, but it was her dream, and like all dreams, it required money, A cash flow she currently didn’t have, hence the two jobs.

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